Skip to main content

Ready to hire?

Post your job in minutes, browse real reviews and choose who to speak to.Post a job

Need some tips or advice?

Ask a question
Restoration & Refurbishment

Half inch of sag and hairline cracks - did I remove a load-bearing wall?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.53 PM

I bought an old Victorian home (circa 1899) and shortly thereafter removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room. Although I was told it was not load-bearing, for extra support still sistered two 2x10s to each side of the old lintel that ran across the top of the inside of the old wall. Now, two years later, I've noticed about a half inch of sag on the second and third floors, directly above the wall I removed, as well as a few small hairline cracks in the sheet rock. Could a bit of sag be ok, or is this definitely the sign of something worse and is there any danger of habitability?

Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?

1 Answer

Walkden Bricklaying

Rating: 5 out of 5
Huddersfield
sounds to me like it was load bearing, but if it is a opening larger than a double doors i would of imagined the sag would of happened sooner than 2 year later. a couple checks you can do to give yourself some peace of mind. go upstairs above the opening in question and knock on the wall above it, if there is one that is. if the wall sounds hollow then i wouldn't worry, if is likely a partition wall of timber. if the wall sounds solid and has a dull thumb sound to it, it is likely made from bricks, stone or blocks, and will be load bearing. a good way to check for sure is to drill a hole into the wall so see if its solid masonry or not. 2nd is to lift the carpet in the room above to see what direction the floorboards are laid. if the ends of the floorboards are laid towards the wall which you removed below, then that means the joist ends are supported by the opposite walls, and so not load bearing down onto the demolished wall. if the floor boards are running in the opposite direction, be it parallel to the demolished wall, then that means the joists are set into the wall you demolished. if so it need propping with some acro poles available for less than £5.00 per week from a hire shop. best advice though is to get a local builder in to take a look for you.
Answered15 December 2014
1